Tesla’s 4680 battery cells are underperforming and frustrating buyers

Five years after Tesla (TSLA) unveiled its 4680 battery cell at Battery Day with promises of 5x the energy, 6x the power, and 16% more range, the data tells a very different story. Tesla’s homemade cells consistently deliver worse energy density, worse charging performance, and less range than the supplier cells they are meant to replace.

The problem is getting harder to ignore now that Tesla is quietly swapping supplier batteries for its own 4680 cells in European Model Y vehicles — and owners are noticing the downgrade.

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The Lexus TZ is a 3-row luxury EV SUV with 300 mi range, but it’s missing something [Images]

Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, introduced its first all-electric three-row SUV, set to go head-to-head with the Hyundai IONIQ 9, Volvo EX90, and Rivian R1S. The new 2027 Lexus TZ looks nice, but it’s missing one thing.

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Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Manthey Kit sets 6:55 Nürburgring EV record

Porsche has set a new Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for “production” electric vehicles. A Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package equipped with the new Manthey Kit lapped the 12.94-mile circuit in 6:55.553 minutes.

The time, set by Porsche development driver Lars Kern, is 12 seconds faster than his own previous record in the standard Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package set in October 2023 — and more than nine seconds faster than the previous record in the “Electric Executive Cars” category.

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Honda patents fake clutch for electric motorcycles and it might actually make sense

One of the biggest advantages of electric motorcycles has always been their simplicity. No clutch, no gears, no stalling – just twist the throttle and go. They’re basically big, fun scooters, at least in terms of operation. But Honda appears to think there’s still something worth preserving from the old-school riding experience, especially for off-road riders.

A newly revealed Honda patent shows the company developing a simulated electronic clutch system for electric motorcycles, complete with torque-boost launches and even haptic feedback designed to mimic the feel of a combustion engine.

And surprisingly, it might not be as gimmicky as it first sounds.

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REALLY Quick Charge: Slate Auto CCO talks affordability, flexibility, and more

On this really quick episode of Quick Charge, Slate Auto’s Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy Snyder believes his new truck is the right size and price to drive fleet adoption AND fandom. We only had a few minutes with Jeremy, and Slate is nearly ready for prime time!

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Humble Hauler autonomous trailer takes the truck out of trucking

The startup that dares to ask, “Why does the Macbook driving my freight around need a whole cab?” just showed off a fully driverless, cab-less, and truck-less battery-electric freight platform designed to handle containerized cargo more efficiently than ever.

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ESS adds 8.5 GWh of sodium-ion to its battery storage portfolio

ESS is moving beyond its long-duration energy storage roots into the crowded short- and medium-duration battery storage market – but not with lithium.

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Tesla files new Roadster trademarks with unique badge ahead of launch

Tesla has filed two new trademark applications for the Roadster with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, revealing a stylized wordmark and a distinctive triangular badge that departs from the automaker’s standard branding approach.

The filings are the clearest signal yet that Tesla is preparing to bring the long-delayed electric supercar to market — nearly nine years after the prototype was first unveiled.

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Chinese automakers race to enter Canada, here are the EVs likely coming

Three major Chinese automakers — BYD, Chery, and Geely — are actively hiring staff, scouting dealership locations, and registering trademarks in Canada following the country’s landmark decision to slash tariffs on Chinese-built EVs from 100% to 6.1%. But none of them have actually started selling cars yet.

The biggest beneficiaries of the new quota system so far are Tesla and, to a lesser extent, Polestar — companies that already have established brands and existing sales infrastructure in Canada.

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Kempower unveils its dual CCS and megawatt truck charger

Kempower just unveiled its Mega Satellite Flex, a high-power EV charger that supports both CCS (up to 560 kW) and megawatt charging (up to 1.2 MW) for heavy-duty trucks.

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